CityCyclingEdinburgh was launched on the 27th of October 2009 as "an experiment".
IT’S TRUE!
CCE is 15years old!
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It soon became useful and entertaining. There are regular posters, people who add useful info occasionally and plenty more who drop by to watch. That's fine. If you want to add news/comments it's easy to register and become a member.
RULES No personal insults. No swearing.
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resolved@gembo - @acsimpson & I did spot the fietsclub at TdL out in their resplendent yellow.
AC even went so far as to enquire with one of them whether you were gracing the ride, but alas we were disappointed by your absence.
A grand day out nevertheless, and Soutra isn't half as bad as I imagined...
@gembo We weren't out yesterday. Great weather for it though. Today though we pitched up in the Flamme Rouge in Gifford. Top marks to the Haddington club we saw there who managed to colour coordinate just about every part of their kit.
@hankchief, ah yes, there was a mention of a Hank. I love the high valley at the top of Soutra.
@cyclingmollie - Haddington out everywhere yesterday in force. We did see a chap with a pink bianchi, pink shoes and the Haddington livery.
@gembo we saw a similarly dressed individual at Gifford. Does the Haddington club just go from cafe to cafe trying to assimilate new members? Style over miles? How do they stay so thin?
HankChief Soutra? Not up the main road surely? I didn't know there was another way up there...
(Is it the climb past Soutra Aisle?)
@Fimm, yep the main road (it was just me heading to & from Lauder & not the whole event).
On the way there the road was quiet except for those going to TdL who all gave me a wide berth. I even had @harts (on route to giving mechanical support) slow down to give me some encouragement.
The way back was busier but the climbing is all with a climbing lane so plenty of space for wide overtakes.
I wouldn't do it regularly but as a one off it wasn't too bad.
@HankChief ah that makes sense. I've ridden that road on my own but I couldn't imagine that there could possibly be an event over it.
TdL report here. One forumer @nobrakes reclined over it. Not sure how many were out for Tour of Lauder? Fietsclub of course and other supportive groupings.
Tougher than ToB I think. Route passes through bloggers home village of Stow where all roads have hills - apart from A7.
http://recumbentcyclist.co.uk/2019/04/29/tour-de-lauder-2019/
@hankchief cycling the hard way to Lauder for start of sportive. Fecking A
At Gilston there is a little wooden shack with one door and one window which I covet, though the lum has been removed and a flat bit of wood nailed over
@gembo - the organiser said that parking would be limited so we should consider cycling to the event. Who am I to argue?
Train to Stow would also have been an option, but then you'd have had to do the Stow-Lauder hill three times in one day...*shudder*...
Inside my head I now pronounce 'supportive' as 'sportive' with 'up' inserted.
I assume it was @nobrakes I spotted whizzing past me somewhere just before Heriot on a 26/700 wheels recumbent. I could have done with a tow at that point but sadly like all that were passing me there he was too fast. I considered asking if his name was Dave, perhaps he would have understood it after all.
As far as I can see Soutra is the only way into Lauder which avoids either a massive detour or the Stow climb. Of course the Stow route would also involve with the northern end of the Granites or the A68.
I personally didn't mind the Stow climb which was a welcome break after the northerly wind up the Granites. I would much rather have a short sharp ascent than a seemingly never ending grind up a shallow incline.
Train to Stow, up the glorious Coach Road turn right at the end go back down the A7 a mile or so and go up the Gilston Climb to Soutra Aisle. Still not in Moffat though?
Maybe I am confusing climbs and Soutras and Soutra Aisles?
I have climbedout of Stow to Gala. That is high
Soutra Aisle is a very nice road or possibly the name of the church at the top of the road. It is a pleasant place to cycle but unfortunately it comes out on the northern slopes of Soutra so doesn't avoid summiting Soutra on the A68.
I think coming north from Tweedbank might minimise climbing but I haven't ridden that way.
Haven't posted here in quite a long time - living in the Borders and very rarely cycling in Edinburgh etc. @LaidBack pointed me to this thread as I was mentioned.
@acsimpson yes it would have been me you saw - I was the only recumbent in the field I think. M5 CHR - black with 700C wheels. If you'd seen me on the Granites climb I would have been going a lot slower! Downhill is where the recumbent has the biggest advantage so I tried to make the most of it :)
@nobrakes, I was struggling on the Granites Climb. I had a sore knee by that point and was crawling. I stopped half way up for some stretches.
Strangely the Stow climb was was easier for my knee. I guess it was duration which was the killer on the Granites. I also have a preference for steeper climbs.
The Stow climb was a killer on the recumbent - I was running 34-32 but because you can't engage the upper body and mash up the steep bit like you can on a road bike, it's more of a challenge. Talla was worse in the Tour o the Borders, but it happened fairly early on in the ride as opposed to after 5 hours. The guys in the tent half way up with the barbecue and cheers were a welcome distraction!
The Granites does go on for ever. We sometimes go over there on the recumbent tandem and it really is a slog. Scenery is very nice though. It's a lovely part of the world to be lucky enough to have on my doorstep.
An electric Brompton with an array of accessories including a bar-mounted spirit level.
Went up to 25% which I suppose leccy assist might allow.
“...an array of accessories including a bar-mounted spirit level”
No micrometer?
No but one pannier was full of mercury.
Massive man-hunt on Craigmillar Hill. Cops looking for a muscle-man carrying 'something'.
I left the area forthwith. Helicopters, running through bushes, dogs etc. Yikes.
I was Bromping homewards out of Morningside and waved a hello to that well known Morningside resident, Morningsider.
Then almost immediately was hailed by a cheery Stella "Cycling in South Edinburgh" Thomson. She noted that I was in disguise by not being encased in carbon fibre.
Daisy Sustrans (currently of CEC) outside City Chambers this morning (she was deep in conversation with a colleague so we didn't chat).
Riding home late on the canal earlier a gentleman with a very bright light passed me going west. He appeared to be playing opera from a bar-mounted speaker. I was intrigued.
Spotted Daisy Narayan yesterday too on her new lecky bike which she described as Awesome.
Also Alice Morrison the first woman to walk the Draa river in Morocco ( her parents live in Currie)
My old pub and shopping bike getting second place in a photography competition in the Currie and Balerno news. Slightly misleading caption as the two kids bikes and the big stick do not belong to it.
Nice to see it finally getting its place in the sun. (Second place)
Third place is an aerial shot of the kips and Harlaw/thriepmuir/black springs
First place is a very happy Tattie salesperson
Trainspotters at the west end of Slateford Aqueduct.
Probably waiting for The Great Britain XII:
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U10827/2019/05/02/advanced
Tornado is expected to be in Edinburgh on the 9th.
Today 61264 and 44871
Also
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Steam-hauled throughout by A4 Class 60009 Union of South Africa Sunday 5th May 2019
“
"60009 was bought by John Cameron in 1966 and after many years hauling main-line steam specials it is expected to be retired later this year."
:-(
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